Jackals Tremble, Blood Ape Goes Mad

Red Scarf Alley, East Fourth Street, Blood Ape Gang headquarters.

"Jade-Faced Tiger! A fine Jade-Faced Tiger indeed!

I, Wang Han, will surely tear you into ten thousand pieces!!"

The furious roar sounded like the bellow of a wounded beast.

The leader of the Blood Ape Gang, Wang Han, paced back and forth in the center of the hall like a volcano.

His physique was even more massive and imposing than his son Wang Teng's; standing there, he looked like a moving mountain of flesh.

As his emotions fluctuated, his blood and qi surged.

The wisps of blood, qi, and force uncontrollably leaking from his body were as heavy as lead, pressing down on the people kneeling in the hall until they couldn't breathe, their hearts pounding wildly.

He had reached the Great Completion of Hidden Force, his blood and qi heavy as lead.

He was clearly a Bone Forging expert, having surpassed the Body Tempering and Tendon Changing realms; there were even rumors that he was not far from the Organ Refining realm.

"Trash! You are all nothing but trash!"

Wang Han stopped abruptly, his bloodshot eyes sweeping over the gang leaders below, who were trembling like chaff in the wind and silent as cicadas in winter.

He grabbed at the air, and a minor leader kneeling at the front was lifted by an invisible force, gasping in shock as he fell into Wang Han's grasp.

"When Teng went to Chunhua Restaurant on business, why didn't you useless sacks of wine and rice send more elites to follow him?"

Wang Han's voice was hoarse, laced with killing intent.

"L-Leader, spare me!

The Young Master... the Young Master wouldn't let us follow him. He said there were too many eyes and ears, and he was afraid... afraid of alarming the Qin Family.

He was also afraid that 'those people' would be displeased..."

The minor leader pleaded, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"Afraid? And what about now? My son is dead!!"

Wang Han let out a sharp roar, his five fingers tightening violently!

"Crack!"

The sickening sound of shattering bone rang out clearly.

The minor leader's pleas for mercy stopped abruptly, his eyes bulging as Wang Han tossed him aside like trash; he struck a stone pillar in the distance, already dead.

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

The rage of losing his son burned through Wang Han's internal organs.

But he had not grown his gang to its current scale by relying on ferocity alone.

Taking a few deep breaths, he forcibly pushed the fury that threatened to overwhelm his reason back into the depths of his heart.

His gloomy gaze, like that of a venomous snake, slowly shifted toward his confidant kneeling on the other side:

The deputy leader, Ghost Abacus, Chen Qi.

"Chen Qi,"

Wang Han's voice had returned to a calm state, which was even more unsettling.

"Have you found out clearly?

What is the background of that 'Yang Ning' who wore the White Jade Mask and killed my Teng?"

Chen Qi was a lean, middle-aged man. Hearing this, he quickly stepped forward and whispered:

"Reporting to the Leader, your subordinate has utilized all our informants and investigated thoroughly.

This person's roots... are unexpectedly shallow."

He paused, then reported in a steady tone:

"Yang Ning is indeed a native of East Third Street, born into a humble family.

His father was once a leader in the Porter Guild, but both his parents died early.

He was raised by his older brother, Yang An. Yang An is an ordinary herb gatherer for the outer hall of Hundred Herb Hall, whose income barely keeps them fed.

As for Yang Ning himself, before the incident, he had always made a living pulling a cart at the East Third Street Porter Guild; he was a bottom-tier laborer."

"Oh?"

A fierce light flickered in Wang Han's eyes:

"A lowly mud-legged peasant like that has the ability to beat my Body Tempering late-stage son to death?

Or is it that he recently had some kind of fortuitous encounter?

Who has he thrown his lot in with?"

Chen Qi hesitated for a moment, his voice dropping even lower:

"The reason for his sudden surge in strength has yet to be uncovered.

But... your subordinate did discover one thing that might be related."

"These Yang brothers seem to have some history with Fei Yan, the manager of the Hundred Herb Hall branch on East Third Street."

"Fei Yan?"

Wang Han's brows knit together tightly, a flicker of wariness flashing in his eyes:

"Is he one of Fei Yan's men?"

"No, it doesn't seem so."

Chen Qi shook his head, his tone certain:

"I spent a large sum of money to bribe a capable servant close to Fei Yan.

According to him, not only do Fei Yan and the Yang brothers have no history, but they actually have quite a bit of friction.

Fei Yan dislikes the two of them quite a bit, and there is even... a vague intent to suppress them.

Some time ago, Yang An tried to use an old wild ginseng to trade for a spot as an inner hall disciple at Hundred Herb Hall for his younger brother Yang Ning, only to be publicly humiliated and rejected by Fei Yan."

"Is that so?"

The fierce light in Wang Han's eyes softened, replaced by a look of deep thought:

"That fellow Fei Yan is accustomed to currying favor with the powerful; his relationship with those outside the city is murky, and he even has some ties to a direct descendant of the Shen Family in the inner city.

If that Yang Ning were truly his man, I would have to weigh things carefully before making a move."

"However..."

He rubbed his chin, his face once again covered in a sinister and vicious expression:

"Since he isn't one of Fei Yan's men, and has no prior connection to the Qin Family...

Then things are much easier to handle.

A bumpkin who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth thinks that by clinging to the high branch of the Qin Family, he can soar into the sky and disregard my Blood Ape Gang?"

He sneered repeatedly, his voice like a cold wind blowing from the netherworld:

"The Qin Family? It's only one branch of them!

They have rarely cultivated influence in the outer city; do they really think they can cover the sky with one hand? They might be able to protect him for a moment, but let's see if they can protect him for a lifetime!"

At this moment, Chen Qi spoke up cautiously:

"Gang Leader, there is one more thing... 'The people over there' sent word today, and their tone seemed dissatisfied.

They believe our operation this time was too reckless and rash; not only did we fail to accomplish the task, but we also alerted the enemy.

It has left them... somewhat passive.

Should we take the initiative to explain and appease them?"

"Explain? Appease?"

Wang Han turned his head abruptly, staring fixedly at Chen Qi, his ferocity fully exposed:

"My son is dead! And you want me to explain to that bunch of rats hiding their heads and showing their tails?

The operation failed?

If it weren't for their faulty intelligence, claiming there was only an old and weak Body Tempering guard.

My son, at the late stage of Body Tempering, should have had it in the bag!"

His chest heaved violently, but he eventually lowered his voice, filled with bone-deep hatred:

"Tell them that the Blood Ape Gang will handle this matter ourselves; it has nothing to do with the 'Qin Family affair,' and it will not affect our subsequent cooperation.

But they had better figure out whose intelligence was lacking, which led to my son's death!

Cooperation is a two-way street!"

After venting his dissatisfaction, Wang Han cast his man-eating gaze back toward Chen Qi, every word dripping with tangible killing intent:

"Chen Qi, there are some things I need you to handle personally!"

He took a step forward, his terrifying aura pressing down like a mountain:

"We cannot touch the Qin Family residence for the time being, but what about East Third Street? After all, he was born and raised on East Third Street; you can use your own discretion for some things!

I want this little beast surnamed Yang to know what price he will pay for killing my son!

I want to watch as everything he has is crushed and destroyed because of his ridiculous 'act of righteousness'!

Once he is in total despair, I will tear him apart with my own hands to sacrifice to my son's spirit!"

Meanwhile, on East Third Street, in the back courtyard of the Hundred Herb Hall.

Fei Yan slammed the copy of the Kuishan Top Hundred Ranking compiled by the Yuan Family's All-Hearing onto his desk.

His face was deathly pale, and fine beads of cold sweat seeped from his temples.

His chest heaved violently, his eyes a mix of terror and fury.

He was, of course, aware of the disturbance at Chunhua Restaurant that had shaken East Street some time ago.

As someone who had "business" dealings with several leaders of the Blood Ape Gang, and whose own rise to power was vaguely linked to the forces behind that gang, he kept a close watch on what happened that night.

He was constantly using his own channels to scout for information.

When he heard that Wang Teng had been killed in public by an unknown guest advisor of the Qin Family, he was first shocked that anyone would dare to deal with the only son of Wang Han so ruthlessly.

But as more details emerged, especially as the real name of that jade-faced man, "Yang Ning," began to spread.

Fei Yan started to feel that something was wrong.

Yang Ning?

This name... why did it sound so familiar?

He initially thought it was a coincidence; there were plenty of people in the world with the same name.

How could a young expert capable of beating a late-stage Body Tempering martial artist to death be the same lowly porter he had wantonly humiliated and could have crushed like an ant just a few days ago?

Absolutely impossible!

Fei Yan told himself this.

He even secretly mocked himself for being paranoid, actually linking a lowly porter to such an expert.

However, when further information came through channels from the Blood Ape Gang, confirming "Yang Ning's" background, family history, and relationships.

Fei Yan felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to his skull, his limbs turning ice-cold in an instant!

The evidence was irrefutable!

It really was him! That Yang Ning!

How much time had even passed?

How could a lowly commoner who needed his brother to risk his life gathering ginseng just to trade for a slim chance at martial arts training suddenly transform into a Body Tempering realm martial artist capable of killing Wang Teng?

Fei Yan refused to believe it, frantically searching his mind for other possibilities.

Until today, this freshly printed Kuishan Top Hundred Ranking, which held significant influence in the Outer City and even the entire county, struck his illusions like a heavy hammer.

Turning to the corresponding page, the list featured a striking headline:

"The Incident at Chunhua Restaurant: Nameless Tiger Soul Shocks East Street, Jade-Faced Young Hero Saves Qin Daughter."

Beside it was a portrait—though simple in style, it was quite vivid—depicting a young man wearing a half-mask, his posture upright, his fist stance fierce.

The brief biography next to the portrait clearly stated:

"Yang Ning, age twenty, from East Third Street.

Formerly a porter at the Porter Guild, skilled in Tiger Soul Fist, upright in character.

Suspected martial arts prodigy, cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds, has reached the Body Tempering realm.

At Chunhua Restaurant, acted righteously, killed Blood Ape Gang young master Wang Teng with his fists, saved the Qin daughter from danger, now a guest advisor for the Qin Family.

Ranked ninety-seventh on the Top Hundred Ranking (newly promoted)."

Ninety-seventh!

Although it was only at the tail end of the Top Hundred Ranking, this meant that Yang Ning's strength and deeds had already been recognized and noted by the martial arts circles of the Outer City!

It meant he was no longer a lowly ant, but a "genius" with untapped potential!

More importantly, the words "Qin Family guest advisor" pricked Fei Yan's eyes like needles.

The Qin Family!

That was a family on equal footing with the Shen Family of the Inner City!

"It's over..."

Fei Yan collapsed into his grand armchair, soul-lost and spiritless, his body ice-cold as cold sweat soaked his inner garments.

He recalled the words he had used to humiliate the Yang brothers to the extreme.

He recalled the Tiger Soul Fist Manual he had deliberately passed down, knowing it was extremely difficult to cultivate.

He recalled his undisguised contempt and trampling...

How satisfying it had been then, and how terrifying it was now!

A twenty-year-old Body Tempering expert in the Top Hundred, valued by a prominent family and possessing infinite potential—and more crucially, he held deep hatred for him!

Fei Yan did not doubt for a second that once Yang Ning established a firm foothold in the Qin Family, he would definitely come back to settle old scores!

"No! I absolutely cannot sit here and wait for death!"

Extreme fear instead ignited the ruthlessness buried deep in Fei Yan's bones.

"I must strangle him while he has yet to truly take root in the Qin Family and before his wings have fully grown!"

Fierce light flickered in his eyes:

"Wang Han of the Blood Ape Gang lost his son and must hate him to the bone; he will surely retaliate. Perhaps I won't even need to make a move myself."

He thought rapidly, various poisonous schemes churning in his mind.

"Perhaps..."

Could he secretly provide some convenience to the Blood Ape Gang?

Or at the very least... manufacture some accidents?

But he immediately dismissed these thoughts.

The Qin Family were no fools; if Yang Ning were to meet with an accident right after saving their young miss, the first people the Qin Family would suspect would be the Blood Ape Gang and anyone potentially linked to them.

His relationship with the Blood Ape Gang was not a top-secret matter and could not withstand a thorough investigation.

After much deliberation, the anxiety gnawed at his heart like venomous ants. Finally, he gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

"In any case... I must leave this place of trouble first and lie low for a while."

His eyes flickered with uncertainty in the room, but eventually, he changed into an inconspicuous set of clothes and pushed open the back door of the study.

The night was deep, and an ordinary green-canopied carriage from the Hundred Herb Hall silently drove out of the side gate of the backyard.

It soon merged into the dim streets and sped toward the inner city, leaving behind only two shallow ruts in the road.